Dancing Flower Omakes
by PathlessSpore
Summary: A collective of drabbles set in the timeline of Dancing Flower. Takes a look into Mai Kurotsuchi's time growing up with Kisuke Urahara, and stories of her day to day life with her dysfunctional family. Companion Book to Dancing Flower.
1. Chapter 1

Dancing Flower  
Omake  
Chapter 1

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**_This is the offical Companion Story to Dancing Flower. Chapters will be updated when and my Beta have the time, and I'm not so overly busy. Please enjoy the chapter, and don't forget to stay updated on Dancing Flower! Oh, and read the prequal When Faith Met Science, it's under a major rewrite at the moment, so forgive the artocious grammer and plot line!_**

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The sun was high overhead as a little girl crouched in front of a small candy shop. Her hands and face were covered in chalk dust as she drew happily on the ground in front of her. She swept her blue hair out of her face and hummed happily to herself. Gold eyes were narrowed in concentration as she put the finishing touches on a hat sitting atop of her picture's head before sitting back and observing her work with pride. A cartoon-like Kisuke Urahara smiled mischievously back at her.

Satisfied, she stood up and dusted off her hands, then turned to wander back inside. The front of the shop was well-kept with goods lining the shelves. Mr. Urahara, the man who had adopted her a few months before, was in the back. His green-striped hat hid his face and she could hear soft snores coming from underneath as she approached.

She carefully crouched beside him and poked his shoulder. He didn't flinch. Mai smirked deviously and shifted on her knees. Oh-so-carefully she reached forward, fingertips barely brushing the hat before Kisuke's thin fingers suddenly wrapped around Mai's tiny wrist, foiling her plan to steal it. He chuckled lightly as he lifted his hat to grin at her.

"Nice try," he drawled teasingly, yawning. Mai smirked and flopped down next to him. Kisuke lifted his arm to wrap it around her. Mai snuggled in close and laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes, the rhythmic beat of his heart filling her ear. Kisuke's fingers ran tenderly through her downy hair as they laid there in amicable silence.

Mai couldn't recall a time when she'd been so _happy._ She'd given up hope of ever leaving the orphanage, of someone looking past her dark skin and blue hair and her uncanny, too-wise golden eyes. She'd been grateful to finally be adopted but it had been hard, at first, for Mai. She feared Mr. Urahara wouldn't like that she had the diction of an adult or that she was mischievous and blunt. She didn't want Mr. Urahara to regret taking her in so she stayed quiet and always volunteered to help Mr. Tessai with the chores even when she'd finished her own.

Kisuke had noticed the tense wariness around Mai and how she seemed to be holding back from he and Tessai. If she was anything like her father, repressing herself was going to make Mai miserable. So he showed her his lab. The memory of her golden eyes lit up in wonder reminded him of his feisty protegé and he couldn't resist teaching her how to make hydrochloric acid - which had earned him quite an earful from Tessai later on when he'd had to help Kisuke out of his corroding clothes.

After that, things changed between he and Mai. For one, she was a lot more physical, whether it be in forms of affection or annoyance. She accompanied him on his walks, watched him attentively in the lab, and no matter how many times they went to the park, Mai always chose to build sand castles or watch the clouds float by in the sky together as children played on the jungle gym nearby.

Mai was just beginning to doze off when she heard the front door open. She sat up quickly, eager to help. Tessai ducked in with several bags in his hands. The blue-haired girl hopped up and ran over to him.

"Would you like some help, Mr. Tessai?"

"Oh yes, thank you very much, Mai." The larger man gave her the lightest bags she could carry and the two marched into the back. After all the groceries were put away Tessai pulled out a handful of irises and a doll with a cute yellow kimono. "Here you go, Mai, just like you asked."

"Thank you, Mr. Tessai." She bowed her head and skipped toward the front of the shop. As she was putting on her shoes to go outside she heard Kisuke chuckle.

"Now where are you going, Little Dancer?"

Mai smiled at her nickname. Her name meant dance in Japanese, and so Kisuke had taken to calling the energetic girl his "Little Dancer".

"I'm going to visit Emiko. Its been ages since I saw her."

"Who's Emiko?"

Mai hesitated. She didn't like telling people about her secret friend because most people didn't believe her. "A little girl who likes to play near the park." There was a long silence and Mai feared that Kisuke wouldn't let her go. Kisuke suddenly smiled at her.

"All right, go have fun my Little Dancer. Just stay out of the streets and don't talk to strangers, 'kay?"

"Ok." She grabbed her flowers and doll and with a wave goodbye ran out the door. The sun was bright and warm on her tan skin as she ran down the sidewalk. She huffed loudly as she plowed along until she finally reached the park. There were a few families playing with their children as she looked around. She crossed the park, marveling at the green grass and sweet air. Eventually she came to a stop on the other side and found herself barred by a street busy with traffic.

Undeterred, she found the nearest crosswalk and waited patiently for the cross signal before sprinting over to the next street. She repeated this process again until she arrived on an empty street and approached a specific corner where a handful of wilted chrysanthemums laid next to a telephone poll.

"Emiko," Mai called, swapping the old flowers for her irises and tossing them into a nearby garbage can. "Emiko, are you there? I got you a gift!" She turned to observe the street and huffed when her friend failed to show. It was strange; Emiko was always waiting for Mai, regardless if she brought presents or not. She clutched the doll in her hand as a cold breeze wafted by and shuddered. Emiko couldn't have just disappeared. Even when no one else could see her friend, Mai knew she wasn't a figment of her imagination. It didn't take long to realize that she was the only one who _could _see the girl - and the other people like her friend.

"Emiko!" Mai called again into the silence. Disheartened, she turned to the telephone pole and suddenly noticed a dark stain near the base. Curious, she went around the pole and crouched closer. The doll slipped from her hand as she recoiled with the horrible realization that it was blood. Mai's breath hitched and tears blurred her vision.

"Mai." Startled, Mai whipped her head around and she looked up and met Kisuke's gentle, melancholy gaze. She wiped her face with a sniffle as he got down on his haunches. "Could anyone else see Emiko?"

The little girl hesitated. "No." Mr. Urahara looked at her thoughtfully.

"I don't think your friend is here anymore, Little Dancer." His eyes flicked to the bloodstain on the ground. He stood and held out his hand. "How about we get some ice cream?" Mai eyed him but grabbed his hand nonetheless. A few blocks over they ordered two scoops of chocolate (with sprinkles and chocolate sauce in Mai's case) and sat on a bench outside. Mai ate her ice cream sloppily, trying to eat away her sorrow, getting chocolate all over her face. She happened to look up and notice a man crying on the other side of the street. He seemed different from the people passing him on the sidewalk. They seemed to have an uncanny indifference to his presence. And he was so pale, no, transparent. And just like Emiko, there was a large chain dangling from the middle of his chest.

"You see him, don't you?" inquired Kisuke as he handed Mai a napkin. She looked at him in surprise.

"Can you see him too?" she asked cautiously. Kisuke nodded.

"Yes," he said and ruffled her hair. "You're very special, Mai, and very few people can see what you can."

The little girl finished off her ice cream. "Kisuke, are they…," she ventured uncertainly.

"Dead?" He looked down at the melted remnants of his own desert. "Yes, Mai, they're dead. Your friend Emiko was a little girl who died in a car accident a few years ago. It was very tragic and she was never able to move on to the next world."

"The next world?"

"It's called the Soul Society. It's where Pluses, like your friend Emiko, go to live until they're ready to be recycled back into the human life cycle."

"So Emiko went to the Soul Society?"

Kisuke gazed down at her small, innocent face, unwilling to tell her the truth, that her friend had most likely been painfully devoured by a Hollow. She was precocious for her age, but there was no need to for her to know how gruesome the spirit world's workings could be, too young to realize know who she was. It might be selfish, but Kisuke wanted to preserve Mai's innocence for awhile longer. She would be told everything when she was older, when she could better understand her powers and deal better with the cold, hard truths of life.

"Yes, she did, Mai. You don't need to worry. She'll be safe, happy, and well cared for."

He squashed a pang of guilt as Mai's face relaxed with relief. Kisuke finished his ice cream and helped Mai clean herself off. They walked back home, hand in hand, with Mai humming happily to herself. He didn't know how Mai had come to be, only having heard rumors of her existence from Yoruichi. Determined to find the answers, he set out to look for her. He never expected to see sad eyes gazing at him desperately, eyes that burned with a passionate curiosity and intelligence as her father's had. He never expected his heart to be moved by this tiny girl next to him. He never expected to love her as if she was his own child. So he would bear the guilt of more inevitable lies until she was ready.

And maybe, she'd forgive him for doing so.

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_**A/N:** **Leave**** CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM! Oh, and go thank my Beta ThaBlueGRRL for her hard work!**_


	2. Chapter 2

Dancing Flower  
Omake  
Chapter 2

Kisuke wondered why he bought the stereo at all. He hardly ever listened to it. He stood in the back of his home, looking over the dusty device and debating on whether or not to get rid of it. It was taking up space, but on the other hand he could make some sort of use of it if he tinkered around inside. He mulled it over for a while until he caught the attention of his little dancer, who wandered up to his side to also stare at the stereo in silence. For a long while they studied it until Mai finally looked up at him. "What is that, Kisuke?"

He wasn't all that surprised she didn't know. He never bothered to turn it on and the child had hardly glanced at it before, when it was hidden under an old sheet. He smiled and bent down. "It's a stereo, Mai." Kisuke expertly flipped the switch and the air was filled with static. He fiddled with the knobs until sounds began to filter through. "It plays music." Kisuke adjusted the antenna to improve the signal. Satisfied, he stepped back and looked down at Mai.

She was staring at the stereo intently, a look of awe on her face. The small girl eventually got down on her knees and leaned forward, listening with undivided attention to the foreign lyrics; American music was popular in Japan. Kisuke smirked and left Mai to her own devices.

He came back down the hall an hour later, expecting Mai to be gone. He was surprised to see her glued to the same spot he had left her. Around her were several wires and tools, and the side of the device looked as if it had been torn open.

"Dancer, what did—"

"I didn't like any of the other stations, so I fixed it," she explained curtly. Kisuke was speechless for a moment.

"You strengthened the signal," he muttered. Mai nodded irritably, never taking her eyes off of the system. "Where is that music airing from?"

With a scoff, the child turned around and threw a screwdriver at him. "Somewhere in America," she spat hotly. "Shut up, I'm trying to listen." With a warning glare - goodness, she definitely was her father's child - she turned back to her music. Properly scolded, Kisuke backed slowly down the hall. She would get bored eventually; nothing kept her attention for long.

A week had passed and still Mai refused to leave the stereo unless it was absolutely necessary. In the morning she spent most of her time tinkering around with it. She had already upgraded the device to play several thousand stations with a simple turn of the dial. When Mai came home from school she rushed through her chores and still returned to the radio at the end of the hall.

Kisuke could see it in her eyes, that music did something for her. Her eyes lit up when she turned it on. Whenever he observed her around the relative safety of a corner, he began to notice she was tapping her fingers to the beat of the songs. Her tastes varied from day to day, Jazz some days, Blues others, then Country music. He noticed she favored the Rock genre most. Her fingers drummed in time with the fast tempo and she eventually began to sing along to songs she had heard most often. She began using his computer to look up the songs for the more popular bands and absorbed information and terminology until music was all she ever talked about.

She was obsessed with it; she was always desperate to learn more.

"Why do you like music so much, my Dancer?" Kisuke questioned during one of their evening walks. They had stopped in the park to look up at the setting sun. Mai mulled her answer over for a moment before looking at him seriously.

"Because it makes my heart race. Because when I listen to those people playing on the radio, I feel like I'm really alive and I can understand life's mysteries."

A comfortable silence stretched between the two. They watched the stars twinkle in the sky as the last ray of the setting sun finally disappeared.

"Kisuke?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think I could make music like that?" The shopkeeper blinked and looked at her. Mai gazed up at him with intense gold eyes. He smiled gently at her.

"Of course _I _believe you can, the question is: Do _you _believe you can?"

She turned her gaze back to the stars and smiled. "Yes, I do believe…"

That year, Mai found an acoustic guitar under the Christmas tree.

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**_A/N: CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM,a nd go thank my Beta ThaBlueGRRL!_**


	3. Chapter 3

Dancing Flower  
Omake  
Chapter 3

Mai' eyes were wide with wonder as she stared out across the infinite space of the Training Grounds. She had never guessed there was something this expansive beneath the shop. She swallowed nervously as she took in her surroundings, then snapped herself out of it and narrowed her gaze on Kisuke. His back was turned to her, as he talked quickly and quietly with Yoruichi, who held a long sheathed blade in her hands.

A week had passed since the discovery of her Shinigami heritage. She had demanded that Kisuke teach her to master her powers and he had looked at her with sad gray eyes and relented. Almost too easily, and it made Mai wonder what he was up to.

Finally, Kisuke took the blade and turned to Mai, handing it to her wordlessly. She curiously unsheathed it and admired its silver sheen and sharp edge.

"It's called a Zanpakuto," explained Kisuke quietly. "Also known as Soul Cutters, they give Shinigami the ability to pass over deceased souls to the Soul Society and purify evil spirits known as Hollows. As of now, your Zanpakuto is in its most powerful state, known as Asauchi, because in this state your weapon can become anything. As you begin to impress your spirit powers upon the blade, it will begin to develop a personality and spirit of its own, a sentient being unto itself who will aid you in battle once you become familiar with it."

"And you have a Zanpakuto as well?" questioned Mai as she ran a hand along the scabbard of her sword. The shopkeeper nodded and from his cane he too revealed his weapon. Mai started in surprise; all this time he had it with him. "This is Benihime." Silently he put away Benihime and turned to Mai. For a long while the two said nothing, until—"I want it made clear, Mai," he said in a low voice. "Once you start with this process, I will not let you stop. For any reason. Do you wish to turn back now?"

The girl considered it for a moment before looking up at him with determination in her eyes. "No," she said firmly, and for a moment, as the older man turned away, she thought she saw disappointment in his eyes.

"Very well, before we begin training you on your spirit powers I want you to learn how to handle a blade."

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Several hours later Kisuke watched as Mai walked away, head hanging low in exhaustion. The shopkeeper sighed wearily and sat down on a nearby rock. He couldn't help feeling that he had somehow failed the little girl. The moment he told her about her father, the entire girl's life had been thrown off course. It would take months for the child's trust in him to be replaced.

Kisuke cursed softly and clenched the fabric of his pants tightly. A soft voice came from over his shoulder.

"You know, studies say that talking about your problems actually helps."

The shopkeeper chuckled dryly and watched as Yoruichi sat down against the rock at his feet.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this," he confided softly. "I was going to let Mai live in ignorance forever. I had even come up with a way to seal off her spirit powers for good."

"I thought you would tell her about family when she was older," remarked the woman. Kisuke shook his head slowly.

"That was before I allowed myself to become attached to her, before I knew that knowing her own heritage would destroy her." Kisuke scowled down at his clenched hands. "You can see it, can't you? You can already see the hate inside her. It will boil for years and in the end it will be her undoing."

Kisuke frowned sadly. "This is my fault, Yoruichi."

His friend was suddenly at his side, a comforting hand on his shoulder. "This is no one's fault, Kisuke. I've always felt that Mai would found out the truth in the end. And your're right, Mai's hate will be her undoing, and it will hurt her in more ways than one. The best you can do for her now is to be there for her. Train her, love her, and when the day finally comes, when it comes back to bite her, pick her up off the ground and tell her to keep moving on." The ninja smiled kindly. "That's what any good father would do, and you are a good father."

A smile passed over Kisuke's face, and he clasped Yoruichi's hand softly. "Thank you."

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**Two Months Later**

"Faster, Mai!" called Kisuke loudly. "Move faster! Always try to be a step ahead of your opponent!" The little girl gritted her teeth loudly and brought up her Zanpakuto just in time to block the shopkeeper's swing. Mai knew Kisuke was holding back, but only enough to push her without accidentally slicing her in two.

She was sweating from head to toe while Kisuke wasn't even winded. She wiped her brow and snarled, swinging wildly. Her brash behavior earned her a quick rap on the head as she was sent sprawling to her knees.

"Don't ever let your temper get the better of you in a battle," admonished the older man as he stared down at her sternly. "Now try it again."

"What?" cried the little girl. "We've been at it for hours, Kisuke. Give me a break!"

"Do you think your opponent will allow you rest? Do you think that they will allow you to walk away and lick your wounds? No, this isn't some battle where when you lose you can learn from your mistakes. One fatal misjudgment could mean the end of your life. That is the great cruelty of the world, and if you have any hope of becoming strong you need to learn that well!"

Mai cringed slightly and averted her eyes. Kisuke was a relentless teacher, and she understood why. He was hoping to divert her from the path of a Shinigami so she could live like a normal human. But the little girl understood deep inside that she would never be normal. So she hardened her glare and nodded, and she saw the disappointment in his eyes again.

She didn't have time to think about it as she raised her Zanpakuto to block his attack. She'd get her vengeance against her father, whenever that day would come.

* * *

**A few weeks later**

Mai barely had any time to react as Kisuke's gloved fist hit her square in the chest. The blow winded her as expected, but as she was sent sprawling on to the ground she felt very little pain. She gasped loudly, trying to catch her breath, and she glared up at the shopkeeper as she got to her knees. What she didn't expect to see was her body lying in front of her like some lifeless corpse.

"What was that for, Kisuke?" she snapped as she stood up and dusted her pants off. She studied her fingers and to her surprise she found that they were slightly blurry at the edges.

"I've detached your Soul from your body," he stated, circling her. Mai followed his movements.

"Why?"

"I wanted to check something, and to be honest it wasn't what I expected." He knelt down in front of her and hummed softly. "You don't have a Soul Chain."

"What's a Soul Chain?"

"In a nutshell, it's what connects the Soul to the body. If the chain is severed the person dies and becomes a spirit, and either passes over or stays in the World of the Living. You don't have one."

"So I'm dead?" Mai demanded, examining her chest as well.

"I don't think so." Kisuke got to his feet and walked over to Mai's body. He picked it up and walked over to her spirit self. "You're a bit of an oddity, Mai, even for Shinigami standards. From what Yoruichi and I have been able to dig up, you weren't born a full Shinigami ___or_human. So in truth, I don't particularly understand what you are or why you don't have a Soul Chain."

He gently laid down the body and motioned for the little girl to sit down. He joined her as she settled and crossed his legs. From inside his coat he brought out her Zanpakuto and Benihime.

"Since you're already in your spirit form, I figured I might as well teach you how to impress your powers upon your blade." He showed Mai how to sit in a proper meditation stance and placed her sword in her lap. For the next two hours he walked her through deep breathing exercises and relaxation methods.

"Remember, Mai, it's all about focus. Feel the spirit energy in your body and in the world around you. If you focus you can mold the energy in your body and put it into your blade. Over time all that energy will manifest inside your Zanpakuto and it will become a personality of its own. When that happens you must work to find its name, and become one with your partner."

"Yes, Kisuke."

* * *

They had been unexpected guests, and had given Kisuke little time to explain to Mai their association to him. The shopkeeper laughed nervously as he stammered out an apology to Shinji Hirako, Hiyori Sarugaki, and Kensei Muguruma. Mai looked over the guests with narrowed eyes, calculating each and every one of them.

Shinji waved away the shopkeepers apology and jammed his hands into his pockets. "Sorry to drop in on you like this, Kisuke. We've been a little bored lately and thought we'd stop by for a visit. We didn't know you were busy."

Hiyori stomped past Kisuke and nudged Mai with a finger. "What gives, Kisuke," she snapped snottily. "Who's the blueberry midget?"

"I have a name," snapped Mai angrily, pushing away Hiyori's hand. "It's Mai Kurotsuchi, and don't you ever forget it!" With a final glare she turned on her heel and stalked away to continue practicing her sword technique. The trio were left in stunned silence.

"Was she serious?" Shinji watched Mai swing her sword only to trip over its weight. "Kisuke, what's going on?"

"It's exactly what you think," sighed Urahara. "That's Mayuri's daughter."

"Who the hell was crazy enough to actually procreate with that freak?!" cried the blonde visored in shock, her eyes never leaving Mai.

"Mai's mother, apparently," Kisuke laughed and rubbed his head sheepishly. "I don't know much about her origins except that Mayuri left her here in the World of the Living. She's had it rough and resents Mayuri for abandoning her."

"Jeez, I always knew he'd turn out to be a first-class jerk." Hiyori scoffed loudly and crossed her arms. "What kind of douche bag abandons his daughter like that? Mayuri deserves a swift kick in the nuts, if you ask me."

"There's legitimate reason," Kisuke muttered as he looked over his shoulder and watched Mai trip over her sword again. "I don't know if we'll ever find out what it is. I guess there's a part of me that hopes Mayuri will one day come looking for her."

"I doubt it," Kensei murmured as he watched the girl. "He's not the type to go back and unbury the past. If he's left Mai here, then that's the end of it."

"So I guess that means she's officially part of the family, huh?" Shinji chuckled softly and strode past Kisuke and over to Mai. "No, no, no, you're holding your Zanpakuto all wrong. Man, what has Kisuke been teaching you?"

"Some Sensei you are," scoffed Kensei as he went over to help. The two men got into a debate over how the girl should hold her sword, each showing her varying techniques. The only one left was Hiyori, who continued to stare at Mai.

"You can tell she's his, even if I never saw him without that shit he always wore," she muttered. Hiyori averted her eyes and sneered. "Well its Mayuri's loss." With another scoff she stomped past Kisuke to join her friends. "Buzz off losers, can't you see her Zanpakuto is a Nodachi? It's way longer than a Katana which means she needs to hold it differently. It's also heavier. Kisuke, why didn't you start her out on something lighter!?"

The shopkeeper chuckled, "Blame Yoruichi. She had to sneak into the Soul Society and liberate a Zanpakuto from the Academy for Mai to use. It was the best she could do and remain undetected."

Kisuke gazed happily over the group and paused when he saw something truly miraculous. For the first time in months, Mai was smiling.


End file.
